BLACK MONTPARNASSE l8l

arguing about; I had understood from him that they
had agreed to work for three shillings a week.

Then I bluffed. There was nothing else to do. They
had me on the spot. Babu and Amah were on my
side and of course my servants; Vande, too, I
thought, from the way he spoke to them, though I
couldn't understand a word of Bande. I said, "Tell
them they can go home. I'll give them their pay, but
they won't get any dash, I'll take new carriers here,"
He talked to them, they shouted things at him, after
what seemed a long while he smiled. He said, "They
no want to go." It was the moment to strike harder.
Kolieva seemed to be the ringleader; I told him to go.
I'd pay him off. I thought to myself all the while:
if I can keep them together for a fortnight more they
will be in a country as strange to them as to me;
they won't want to leave. There was a tribe, about a
week ahead, which was still supposed to practise can-
nibalism on strangers; they wouldn't want to be paid
off there. But I had won: Kolieva explained it was
all a mistake, grinning with shame; and a moment
later they were laughing and joking as if there had
been no disagreement; they were like children who
have tried to get an extra holiday but bear no grudge
because they have never really believed they would
succeed. But the dispute had let out most of the bad
blood; for two more days there were to be continual
arguments, which wore my temper to threads, and
then quite suddenly they began to work together
happily and smoothly.

Vande asked whether they could kill the kid I had
been given in Kpangblamai, and it seemed the right
moment for conciliation. I said 'yes/ not expecting*